Improvement in revolving cartridge-boxes



P. F. SCHNEIDER. Cartridg-Boxi Patented July 31 1866,

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N. PETERS, FHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE,

P. F. SCHNEIDER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPRO.VEMENT IN REVOLVING CARTRIDGE-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,804., dated July 31,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, P. F. SCHNEIDER, of Hartford, Hartford county, Stateof Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improve mentinCartridgeBoxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The cartridge-boxes now in use for carrying fixed metallic cartridges,so called, consist of the ordinary square-shaped cartridge-box suitablyconstructed upon its interior to receive them, to wear which box withcomfort it is necessary that it should be upon the back or rear portionof the body, thereby occasioning great inconvenience in the removal ofthe cartridges from their box when desired to use them.

By the present invention, however, a cartridge-box, if it may be sotermed, although possessing'more the features of a pouch, is providedfor the reception of fixed metallic cartridges of such a constructionand form that it can be conveniently carried upon the body of the personwho is to wearit, and from which the cartridges can, in turn, and oneafter another, but only one at a time, as it is desired to use them, bereadily discharged through a suitably-shaped nozzle or opening therefor,as will be apparent from the detail description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying plate of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is acentral section through the cartridge-box, taken in the direction of itslength; Fig. 2, a transverse section taken in the plane of the line 00m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial transverse section taken in the plane ofthe line 3 Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a View of the lower end of thecartridge-box or that through which the cartridges are discharged fromit.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. a

The cartridge-box A, embraced by the present improvements, is made of acylindrical form and provided with a series of tubes, B, arranged uponits interior and extending entirely around the same at equal distancesfrom each other and from the center of the cylindrical casing C, inwhich they are placed, the

internal diameter of each of these tubes corresponding to or a littlegreater than the diameter of the flanged ends of the cartridges whichthey are to receive, so that the cartridges can move freely in them. Itis intended that the diameter of the cylindrical casin g C, as well asits length, shall be sufficient to allow such number of cartridgeswhich, under the military rules, is considered a complement to becarried within its several tubes, the series of cartridges in each tuberesting upon each other, with the lower one of each series upon thebottom plate of acasing, D, surrounding the lower portion, E, of thetube cylinder.

The-tube cylinder C is divided into two portions or sections F and E,with a space, Gr, between the contiguous ends of each, the lowerportion, E, being 'a little less in length than the length of twometallic cartridges, for which the cartridgebox is intended, when placedend to end or ina line with or on top of each other, as plainly shown inFig. l, the flanged end of the upper one of every two cartridges in suchportion of the case-tubes B consequently projecting abovethe upper end,H, of the same.

Through the center of the tube-casing C, and in the direction of itslength, extends a shaft, 1, secured at one end to the lower or bottomplate, J, of the exterior casin g, D, for the tubecylinder and having atthe other or upper end of said tube-cylinder a fiat-headed screw, K,inserted in it and brought to a hearing by its head against such end,this tube cylinder loosely turning upon such center shaft as a centerwhen operated, as will be presently explained, with its two sections Fand E held at the proper distance apart or with a space, G, betweentheir contiguous ends, as described, by a collar, L, secured to theshaft at the proper point therefor. The two sections of thetube-cylinderare interlocked by two fixed upright pins, 0 e, of the lower section, asseen in Fig. 2.

To the lower end of the lower section, E, of the tube-cylinder, andconcentric therewith, turning loosely upon the center shaft, L, issecured a ratchet-wheel, M, having teeth corresponding in number to thatof the series of tubes B, and in a radial line with the centers thereofand the center of the cylinder. With the teeth of this ratchet-wheel Mtwo springpawls, N and O, are engaged, one upon each side of the same,but at points diametrically opposite to each other, the pawl N upon oneside being hung upon a fulcrum-pin, h, of the casing D, and the otherupon a fulcrum-pin, c, of the inner end, P, of a spring 1ever-arm,Q,hung upon a fulcrum, at R, of the outside of the said casing D, andmoving in and under a clasp, S, thereof, by swinging which lever Q inthe proper direction the pawl O, hung to its inner end, as explained, ismade to turn the ratchet-wheel, and consequently the tube-cylinder, towhich it is secured, around in the opposite direction, a stop, T,limiting the swing of the said lever Q in one direction, and the end ofthe clasp S, under which it moves, in the other. It is intended thatsufficient length of play shall be allowed to the said lever to enablethe ratchet to be revolved thereby only through a space equal to one ofits teeth at one time, when, releasing the lever, it will immediatelyreturn to its place through the force of the spring 6 e, secured at oneend to the outside of the casing D, and at its other bearing upon it, asplainly seen in Fig. 4, so that by alternately moving the lever forwardto the stop '1, and then allowing it to fly-or swing back, thetube-cylinder can entirely revolve around its central axis or shaft, thepawl N preventing it, by acting upon-the teeth of the ratchet-wheel,from moving in an opposite direction, and also holding it in place aftereach successive action of the lever-pawl 0 upon it.

From the above description it is plain to be seen that through thearrangement of the several parts and their connection with theoperating-lever Q, by properly moving such lever, the tube-cylinder canbe revolved around its center axis or shaft, so that if an aperture, V,be made in the bottom plate of the casing D, surrounding'the lowerportion of such tubecylinder, of corresponding diameter to the interiorof the said tubes, and at such point of the said bottom plate as will bein exact line with any one of the series of tubes B composing the saidtube-cylinder when it is stationary or at rest, by then intermittinglyrevolving the said tube-cylinder as explained, its several tubes willthus, in regular order and succession, be brought in line with saidaperture V, thereby forming an outlet for the cartridges contained inthem to escape, or, in other words, be discharged from the saidcylinder, the whole number in each tube falling out at one and the sametime, the objections to which in case each tube contains more than oneare self-evident without any particular mention herein.

To avoid this and only allow one cartridge in each tube of the cylinderto pass out through the opening V of the casing D, I have placed betweenthe two sections F and E of the tubecylinder, and in the same verticalplane or line with the said opening V, a stationary bridge, W, oneportion, X, of which forms a radial arm to the shaft-collar, and theother, Y, is secured to the interior of the casing D at or near itsupper end, but the two detached and separate from each other, leaving anopening, L, between them corresponding to the diameter of the main orbarrel part of the cartridges. On the edges of this bridge the uppercartridge in the lower section of the tube-cylinder, by its flanged'end, comes to a rest and stop as the one below it falls through theopening V, thus holding it within its tube, as well as all the remainingones of the series in such tube above it, when again revolving thetubecylinder, by properly moving the lever-arm Q therefor, suchcartridge slides over the said bridge, and its place is then taken bythe upper cartridge in.the lower section of the next tube, and so onthrough the whole series, the

cartridges in each tube, after having passed over the said bridge, asabove stated, falling to the bottom plate of the casing D, on which thelower one of each series moves.

By means of this bridge W, arranged with regard to the discharge-openingV of the casing D, together with the division of the tubecylinder intotwo such parts that the flanged ends of the upper one of the twocartridges in the lower section will project sufficiently beyond itsupper edge to bring them above the plane or level of the said bridge W,interposed between the two sections, as above explained, it is readilyapparent that only one .cartrid ge can be discharged at a time from thetube-cylinder, the importance and advantages of which are obvious.

In lieu of so dividing the tube-cylinder into two parts or sections thatonly two cartridges, one upon another, can be contained in the severaltubes of its lower part, in which case only one cartridge can bedischarged at a time, such section of the tube-cylinder can be made ofsuch a length as to admit of three cartridges in each of its tubes, oreven four or five or six, or a greater number, if so desired, it beingobvious that as the number of cartridges is increased to which thelength of the tubes of such section is adapted the number of cartridgesdischarged from each of the said tubes at one and the same time will becorrespondingly increased; or, in other words, the number of cartridgesdischarged in each case will be only one less than the number to whichthe tubes were adapted, thereby rendering the cartridge-box readilyapplicable, and with no material change in its construction or in thearrangement of its parts, to the discharge of one or more cartridgesfrom it at one and the same time, whether the several tubes of which itis composed contain a greater or less number of cartridges.

, The cartridge-box made as hereinabove explained may be covered by orinclosed within a leather or other suitable casing or exterior, and maybe made of various materials, such as wood or sheet metal, according asmay be deemed most desirable; and I do not intend to limit myself to anyone particular kind of material of which it may be made, or to any oneparticular covering or casing for it, as tional tube-cylinder G, theratchet-wheel M, they both will admit of many variations. spring-pawls NO,and lever Qg, constructed I claim as new and desire to secure byLetand operating substantially as described, for

i ters Patent- 7 the purpose specified.

1. The stationary bridge W, in combination The above specification of myinvention with the casing D and sections F E, arranged signed by me this21st day of March, 1866. relatively with the discharge-opening V, ap- P.F. SCHNEIDER. plied and operating substantially as and for Witnesses:the purpose represented and described. M. M. LIVINGSTON,

2. In combination with the shaft I and sec- ALBERT W. BROWN.

